Connect with us

Technology

National Mortgage News publishes its latest research report, Predictions 2025: What To Expect in the Year Ahead

Published

1 year ago

on

Industry leaders expect interest rates to fall and as a result, will increase headcount. How rapidly they grow, though, depends in part on macroeconomic trends.

NEW YORK, Jan. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — National Mortgage News, Arizent’s leading resource for senior executives in the mortgage sector, publishes its latest research report, Predictions 2025: What To Expect in the Year Ahead. Sponsored by Hyland™, the survey of industry participants reveals mortgage companies are expecting interest rates to fall and, as a result, preparing for a rebound by increasing headcount.

Accordingly, some lenders may re-examine where they allocate their spending and staff by establishing a presence in the types of channels that many companies downsized during the market slowdown. Mortgage businesses are seeking to make improvements and upgrades to enhance customer service, marketing and other client-facing functions. The strategy will require investments in technology, including artificial intelligence.

Key insights from the report include:

70% of mortgage companies anticipate expanding their workforce in 2025, with nonbank lenders leading the charge.Artificial intelligence cements itself as an asset, with 73% of respondents identifying data verification and administration as key areas where AI can improve loan processes.Persistent issues like rising home prices and limited inventory remain top concerns.In the wake of severe weather and a global pandemic, 74% of respondents believe natural disasters and health concerns will disrupt the housing market.

“The past year marked the beginning of recovery for an industry reeling from sharp business pullbacks,” says Janet King, Vice President of Research at Arizent. “Not all went according to plan, though, and the specter of 2024’s hits and misses hangs over the industry’s expectations for the next 12 months. While optimism appears, so does an awareness that turbulence and volatility could disrupt growth.”

Elevated interest rates and low levels of affordability continue to be among the challenges mortgage businesses face. At the same time, many companies express optimism for growth and are making needed investments in staffing and technology. In particular, AI has established itself as an important mortgage tool, and leaders in the industry are actively looking for strategies, resources and assistance to utilize it to its best effect.

To dive deeper into the findings — including innovative solutions to attract and serve borrowers, future tactics to address affordability and how climate change is expected to impact the housing market — download the full report here: https://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/news/2025s-greatest-challenges-according-to-mortgage-lenders

Research methodology
Data was collected in October and November 2024 by Arizent, the parent company of National Mortgage News, through an online survey, with responses arriving both before and after the presidential election. A total of 128 qualified professionals from across the industry took part.

About National Mortgage News
National Mortgage News is an award-winning comprehensive digital information resource serving the entire residential mortgage industry, including depositories, nonbank lenders and servicers, brokerage firms, vendors and regulators. In addition to providing news analysis and perspective, NMN convenes industry participants to provide insight on topics including regulation, compliance, technology and loss mitigation.

About Arizent
Arizent is a business information company that advances professional communities by providing insights and analysis and convening industry leaders. The company uses deep industry expertise and a data-driven platform to deliver its services, which include subscriptions, marketing services, live events, and access to Leaders, an executive forum. Arizent also connects business communities through leading financial services brands like American Banker, The Bond Buyer, Financial Planning, and National Mortgage News, as well as professional services brands like Accounting Today, Employee Benefit News, and Digital Insurance.

About Hyland
Hyland accelerates growth for lenders and financial firms by unlocking the power of content — inside and outside of core systems. With secure, cloud-based intelligent content solutions, your organization is ready to work smarter. Discover how Hyland can drive greater efficiency and support regulatory compliance at Hyland.com/Financial-Services.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-mortgage-news-publishes-its-latest-research-report-predictions-2025-what-to-expect-in-the-year-ahead-302357739.html

SOURCE Arizent

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

XLCS Partners advises Concurrent Utility Services on sale to UniTek Global Services

Published

9 minutes ago

on

July 23, 2026

By

NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — XLCS Partners, Inc., a leading middle market investment bank, is pleased to announce that it served as exclusive M&A advisor to Concurrent Utility Services LLC on its acquisition by UniTek Global Services, Inc., a portfolio company of New Mountain Finance Corporation (Nasdaq: NMFC) and its affiliates, and BTG Pactual Strategic Capital.

Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Concurrent is a licensed general and electrical contractor providing infrastructure development and maintenance services to electric utilities, telecom providers, and land developers throughout the Southeast United States. The company’s capabilities span overhead and underground utility construction, professional telecom services, emergency service restoration, in-building networks, environmental services, and data center development. Backed by a safety-first culture and an experienced workforce, Concurrent has built a strong regional platform and a reputation for quality across the markets it serves.

UniTek is a leading digital infrastructure services provider supporting the expansion of fiber and data center connectivity across the U.S. and Canada. With over 600 employees and 60 locations, UniTek delivers a full suite of infrastructure services. The acquisition of Concurrent accelerates UniTek’s Power Services Division, which launched in July 2025 to broaden the company’s maintenance, repair, upgrade, and new infrastructure development services for the power sector. Concurrent’s established Southeast footprint and power capabilities directly complement UniTek’s existing broadband and data center infrastructure platform, positioning the combined company to capitalize on growing demand for resilient, modernized power infrastructure. Concurrent will continue to operate under its established brand, maintaining uninterrupted service for its customers.

“Selling Concurrent was one of the biggest decisions of my career, and Anthony, Jay, and the XLCS team guided us through every step with professionalism and genuine care for our people,” said Steve Sarno, CEO of Concurrent. “They stayed fully engaged throughout, gave us honest and thoughtful advice, kept our best interests front and center, and delivered an outcome that exceeded our expectations. I would recommend them without hesitation to any owner considering a transaction.”

XLCS acted as the exclusive M&A advisor to Concurrent, and the transaction was led by Anthony Contaldo, Partner, and Jay Cremer, Vice President. The transaction was completed on July 1, 2026.

About XLCS Partners, Inc.

XLCS Partners is a leading global investment banking firm providing M&A advisory services. Visit www.xlcspartners.com for more information.

Media Contact: 
Kendra Span 
kspan@xlcspartners.com
615-379-7783

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xlcs-partners-advises-concurrent-utility-services-on-sale-to-unitek-global-services-302833542.html

SOURCE XLCS Partners, Inc.

Continue Reading

Technology

XLCS Partners advises Concurrent Utility Services on sale to UniTek Global Services

Published

9 minutes ago

on

July 23, 2026

By

NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — XLCS Partners, Inc., a leading middle market investment bank, is pleased to announce that it served as exclusive M&A advisor to Concurrent Utility Services LLC on its acquisition by UniTek Global Services, Inc., a portfolio company of New Mountain Finance Corporation (Nasdaq: NMFC) and its affiliates, and BTG Pactual Strategic Capital.

Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Concurrent is a licensed general and electrical contractor providing infrastructure development and maintenance services to electric utilities, telecom providers, and land developers throughout the Southeast United States. The company’s capabilities span overhead and underground utility construction, professional telecom services, emergency service restoration, in-building networks, environmental services, and data center development. Backed by a safety-first culture and an experienced workforce, Concurrent has built a strong regional platform and a reputation for quality across the markets it serves.

UniTek is a leading digital infrastructure services provider supporting the expansion of fiber and data center connectivity across the U.S. and Canada. With over 600 employees and 60 locations, UniTek delivers a full suite of infrastructure services. The acquisition of Concurrent accelerates UniTek’s Power Services Division, which launched in July 2025 to broaden the company’s maintenance, repair, upgrade, and new infrastructure development services for the power sector. Concurrent’s established Southeast footprint and power capabilities directly complement UniTek’s existing broadband and data center infrastructure platform, positioning the combined company to capitalize on growing demand for resilient, modernized power infrastructure. Concurrent will continue to operate under its established brand, maintaining uninterrupted service for its customers.

“Selling Concurrent was one of the biggest decisions of my career, and Anthony, Jay, and the XLCS team guided us through every step with professionalism and genuine care for our people,” said Steve Sarno, CEO of Concurrent. “They stayed fully engaged throughout, gave us honest and thoughtful advice, kept our best interests front and center, and delivered an outcome that exceeded our expectations. I would recommend them without hesitation to any owner considering a transaction.”

XLCS acted as the exclusive M&A advisor to Concurrent, and the transaction was led by Anthony Contaldo, Partner, and Jay Cremer, Vice President. The transaction was completed on July 1, 2026.

About XLCS Partners, Inc.

XLCS Partners is a leading global investment banking firm providing M&A advisory services. Visit www.xlcspartners.com for more information.

Media Contact: 
Kendra Span 
kspan@xlcspartners.com
615-379-7783

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xlcs-partners-advises-concurrent-utility-services-on-sale-to-unitek-global-services-302833542.html

SOURCE XLCS Partners, Inc.

Continue Reading

Technology

Fathom Applauds Introduction of the FRONTIER Act, the First Federal Blueprint for Independent AI Verification

Published

9 minutes ago

on

July 23, 2026

By

Reps. Lori Trahan (D-MA-03) and Jay Obernolte (R-CA-23) introduce a bill to build a competitive marketplace of independent verifiers for frontier AI models.

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Fathom welcomes the introduction of the FRONTIER Act, the most complete federal framework yet for independent, third-party verification of frontier AI. The legislation is built to earn public trust as AI technology continues to accelerate. As frontier systems begin to take autonomous action in the world, the gap between what these models can do and our ability to keep them in check is widening. FRONTIER is the starting point to close that gap.

“AI governance keeps running into the same wall. The technology is hard to measure and it moves faster than any law can keep up with,” said Andrew Freedman, Co-Founder and CEO of Fathom. “Trying to write the perfect rules and freezing them in place won’t work. What will work is a competitive market of independent verifiers who are accountable for real-world outcomes and who the government can actually count on. The FRONTIER Act shows we can move fast and still get this right.”

The bill gets the fundamentals correct. It sets one public standard – the adequate mitigation of catastrophic risk – and holds both the AI companies and their independent verifiers accountable to it. FRONTIER does not freeze a single testing method into statute. Instead, it licenses competing verification organizations, allows them to sharpen their methods, and gives the government the power to revoke a license when a verifier’s work does not hold up in the field. That is how you build a system that keeps pace with the science instead of falling behind it.

Fathom thanks Reps. Trahan and Obernolte for their leadership, and for their courage in releasing a discussion draft, inviting scrutiny, and incorporating substantive improvements from across the field. One priority improvement as the bill advances: giving the government a fuller range of tools to act upstream – for pushing companies to close identified gaps in risk mitigation early, rather than only once a catastrophe is imminent. We are committed to working with these sponsors, committees of jurisdiction, and Congressional leadership to continue refining the bill in the weeks and months ahead.

About Fathom
Fathom is an independent nonprofit whose mission is to build a governance architecture that helps society navigate the transition to a world with AI by fostering trust, safety, and innovation. Fathom has developed and championed the independent verification model for AI and works with policymakers across the country to put it into practice. Learn more at http://fathom.org.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fathom-applauds-introduction-of-the-frontier-act-the-first-federal-blueprint-for-independent-ai-verification-302833546.html

SOURCE Fathom AI Inc.

Continue Reading

Trending